Drakensberg region under fracking threat

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) says it will move to consider the shale-gas exploration licence applications for the Karoo basin, but indicated on Tuesday that only “normal” exploration “excluding actual hydraulic fracturing”, or fracking, will be allowed until the country’s mining regulations had been “augmented” to take account of the unique issues posed by the process.

Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu clarified normal exploration to include “drilling”, as well as geophysical and geochemical mapping. But exploratory fracking would not be allowed during the 6 to 12 months it would take to formulate “appropriate regulations, controls and coordination systems”.

A relatively unknown group of Gauteng entrepreneurs could be the main beneficiaries of plans to “frack” shale gas in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sungu Sungu, an empowerment group largely based in Joburg and Pretoria, has been awarded three preliminary “exploration” permits covering chunks of the central and northern parts of the province.

The largest exploration area is in the Ladysmith/Bergville area, below the water-rich Drakensberg, with a second block in the coal belt south of Newcastle.